London fire probe could take years, police chief says

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - The criminal investigation into one of the worst fire disasters in the U.K. could take years, the chief of London’s Metropolitan Police said Wednesday.

Detectives investigating the Grenfell Tower Block fire in West London, which killed 71 people six months ago, are nowhere near close to handing over files to prosecutors, Met Commissioner Cressida Dick told a briefing to the London Assembly.

"I think we will be looking at the best part of next year before we finish all kind of reconstruction and forensic examination and, as you know, there are a very, very, very large number of people and records to either take statements from or examine forensically so I’m not going to put a timescale on that," she said.

"I would be astonished if we were finishing the criminal investigation within 12 months, I am sure that it will be much more than that," she added.

She told the Assembly that about 200 detectives had worked with consultants to speak to around 2,400 people about the deadly inferno.

The final death toll is 71, according to British police. The last two bodies from the scene of the blaze were identified in November.

The June 14 fire that cost the lives of dozens of residents was blamed on a faulty fridge according to earlier reports. The blaze spread quickly due to the building's cladding, which was thought to have worked as an accelerator.

A public inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Theresa May and a police inquiry are still underway to determine the cause and the reasons for the high death toll in the disaster.

The victims will be commemorated at a memorial service on Thursday at London's St. Paul's Cathedral with the attendance of the senior members of the Royal Family.